Feeling Euphoric at the Macintosh

Euphoria! Such an awesome word. A word that just by saying it brings a sense of positivity about yourself. The dictionary describes euphoria as a feeling or state of intense excitement and happiness. We all strive to reach a euphoric state in life. This September Greenville, SC hopes to fill their city with Euphoria, both literally and metaphorically, as the annual Euphoria Food, Wine, and Music festival kicks off.

Euphoria is a four-day event happening September 20-23 bringing chef’s, drink experts, and musicians from across the area to Greenville to showcase their talents. Many of these chefs will be from here in Charleston. One such chef attending the event is Chef Jacob Huder of the Macintosh. In preparation for Euphoria, Chef Jacob and the Euphoria team hosted us on the gorgeous back patio at the Macintosh. The event featured a collaboration between Chef Jacob and Chef Anthony Gray of the Bacon Bros. Public House in Greenville.

The event featured four-courses combining the skills of both chefs. The first course included a charcuterie board featuring various meats from Chef Anthony, as well as Pimento Cheese with Bacon Jam. Chef Anthony mentioned all the meats are sourced locally from the Greenville area. He also mentioned that you can often find his meats (including a full cow) hanging and curating in his restaurant. The course was paired with a Rosè. My highlight from this course was by far the Pâté that was served with bread, as well as the Pimento Cheese with Bacon Jam.

Course number two was courtesy of Chef Jacob at the Macintosh and featured a Tomato Pie made with Tomatoes, Cheese, and Yogurt. The tomato pie is definitely a Southern staple! It was creamy and you could tell the tomatoes were fresh off the vine. This course was paired with a Cotes de Paso wine.

Course number three consisted of Certified Angus Beef Prime Strip with Chimichurri and Summer Vegetables. This was my favorite course. Many equate summer in Charleston with seafood, but the juiciness of the CAB Prime Strip combined with the freshness of the vegetables made this the perfect summer dish in my mind. The dish was paired with a Petit Sirah. (It should be noted that given that it's summer and in Charleston, rain showers and storms are frequent, so Chef Jacob and Anthony hoped to prepare the dish on the grill in front of us, but sadly, the rain made this a no-go.)

The final course consisted of Peach and Blueberry Crisp with Tasted Black Sesame Seed Ice Cream. This dish was paired with a bubbly Moscato d’Asti. Upon getting this dish, we were all amazed at the black ice cream. We later learned it was courtesy of Charleston’s own Cirsea ice cream. The crisp had a very unique taste. It combined a variety of flavors. I noticed it had a very Spanish feel and flavor about it.

The event was a great way for me to sample all the offerings Euphoria brings to Greenville. I was super excited to attend the because a few years back a friend mentioned they were going to Euphoria. At the time, I had no clue exactly what it was. She told me it was a food and wine festival. I didn’t believe her initially because the festival doesn’t have food and wine in the name. We all are familiar with Charleston Wine and Food and know exactly what it is, but Euphoria initially didn’t scream food festival to me.

After learning of the event, I have been dying to go. I also even told colleagues who recently moved to Greenville about it. They were so excited that they’ve already bought tickets. If the food and wine at the event are even a fraction as good as what I experienced at the Macintosh, then you can definitely count me in!